A family-owned daily newspaper serving Riverton, Lander and Fremont County, Wyoming since 1949

File photo

The way it was: Uranium meeting -- 1953

Apr 28, 2014 - From staff reports

The discovery of the famed Lucky Mc uranium deposits in the Gas Hills east of Riverton sparked a rush of new prospecting in Fremont County.

Ordinary citizens with no training or advance knowledge of prospecting, geology, minerals or land development flocked to the countryside with Geiger counters, shovels and hope.

As interest grew, experienced miners and geologists conducted "uranium clinics" from time to time to educate prospectors (and to market services and equipment).

In this picture, prospector Clifford Reed of Shoshoni used a miniature Geiger counter being marketed at a uranium fair to test a sample of ore he had found on one of his uranium claims. (Note that the ore sample was contained in a Wheat Hearts cereal box.)